First Runner Up -- Soyuz Descent Module at the Cabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California Round Beach Towel

By the time John F. Kennedy committed to landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth on May 25th, 1961, the Soviet Union had already put up the world's first satellite, the first animals (a dog named Laika on a one-way trip and two others named Belka and Stelka who made the trip both ways,) and the first human (Yuri Gagain) who made one full orbit. Alan Shepard had barely made his 15-minute sub-orbital flight. The firsts for the Soviets continued through the decade with the first mission lasting a full day, the first time two manned spacecraft were in orbit simultaneously, the first woman in space, the first multi-person crew, and the first spacewalk. But in the end, they were the first world superpower to not land on the moon, making them the First Runner Up.

If the Russians had made it to the moon, a craft like this Soyuz 7K-OK Descent Module would have brought them home. The 7K-OK was in use from 1967 to 1971.

I have been photographing the things I see for over thirty years. A resident of San Luis Obispo County, I'm lucky to have many excellent photo destinations within a few minutes' or hours' drive. Beyond the local area, I have traveled throughout California and the western United States, visited far away American destinations such as Chicago, New York, Florida, and Alaska, and international destinations in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. My photography varies from Architecture to Industrial Art to Nature to Wildlife and I'm sure you'll find something suitable for your home or office. Visit my blog